Method and apparatus for social networking in a dynamic environment

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for social networking in a dynamic environment. In one embodiment, a method for social networking in a network includes broadcasting a first set of one or more keywords representing one or more interests of a first user in the network, receiving a response from a second user in the network indicating interest in at least one of the interests of the first user, and connecting to a server in the network, where the server hosts a group for supporting communications between at least the first network user and the second network user.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/076,330, filed Mar. 21, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,716,760, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/975,851, filed Aug.26, 2013, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,294,570, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/615,434, filed Sep. 13, 2012, now U.S.Pat. No. 8,521,819, issued Aug. 27, 2013, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/505,884, filed Jul. 20, 2009, nowU.S. Pat. No. 8,275,891, issued Sep. 25, 2012, all of which are hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to social networking and relatesmore particularly to social networking in networks with dynamictopology.

Social networks, which are logical sets of devices whose users maycommunicate to form groups based on common interests, have exploded inpopularity in recent years. Despite this, it remains difficult toidentify anonymous peers who share common interests in publicenvironments. For example, individuals may wish to identify like-mindedpeers within their vicinity and with whom they can communicate (e.g.,using instant messaging or other communication services).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus forsocial networking in a dynamic environment. In one embodiment, a methodfor social networking in a network includes broadcasting a first set ofone or more keywords representing one or more interests of a first userin the network, receiving a response from a second user in the networkindicating interest in at least one of the interests of the first user,and connecting to a server in the network, where the server hosts agroup for supporting communications between at least the first networkuser and the second network user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The teaching of the present invention can be readily understood byconsidering the following detailed description in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a systemwithin which the present invention may be implemented;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method forsocial networking in a dynamic environment, according to one embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a methodfor social networking in a dynamic environment, according to oneembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method forchoosing a server to host a group of network users, according to oneembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a high level block diagram of the social networking methodthat is implemented using a general purpose computing device.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have beenused, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common tothe figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus fordynamic social networking. Embodiments of the present invention providea means of establishing social networking services in networks in whichdevices join and leave dynamically (and may receive Internet Protocol(IP) addresses dynamically as well).

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system100 within which the present invention may be implemented. Asillustrated, a plurality of devices, including user devices 104 ₁-104_(n) (hereinafter collectively referred to as “user devices 104”) andservers 106 ₁-106 _(n) (hereinafter collectively referred to as “servers106”) are connected to and may communicate with each other over anetwork 102. The network 102 may be, for example, a local area network(LAN), a wireless network, a cellular network, and the like.

The user devices 104 may include one or more of desktop computers,laptop computers, tablet computers, cellular telephones, personaldigital assistants, global positioning systems (GPS), gaming consoles,handheld gaming devices, Internet Protocol television (IPTV), Voice overInternet Protocol (VoIP) telephones, and the like. As such, each of theuser devices 104 may be a mobile device (e.g., such as a cellulartelephone), or may remain in substantially the same physical locationfor extended periods of time (e.g., such as a desktop computer). Theservers 106 are devices capable of hosting services that may be used bythe user devices 104. In one embodiment, at least some of the userdevices 104 also function as servers. In another embodiment, the LANgateway device (not shown) may participate in the protocol exchangeregarding establishment of the social network and may server as a hostserver 106.

Moreover, the connection of each of the user devices 104 to the network102 may change dynamically. That is, any given user device 104 mayconnect to or disconnect from the network 102 dynamically. As such, theIP addresses for the user devices 104 may also be assigned or changed bythe network dynamically. In some embodiments, dynamic assignment of IPaddresses renders the user of a given user device 104 substantiallyanonymous. In one embodiment, one or more of the user devices 104 mayconnect to the network 102 via a local area network (LAN) (not shown).In another embodiment, the user devices 104 may connect to the network102 directly.

One or more of the users operating the user devices 104 may share commoninterests, but may be unaware that other users share these commoninterests. As such, a given user may wish to identify other users in thenetwork 102 who share his or her interests and to communicate with theseother users regarding the shared interests.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method 200 forsocial networking in a dynamic environment, according to one embodimentof the present invention. Specifically, the method 200 represents oneembodiment of a method for dynamically identifying network users whoshare a common interest and creating a hosted group in which the userscan exchange communications that may be related to the common interest.For example, the method 200 is started on a user's machine or device,and operates on a well-known transmission control protocol (TCP) or userdatagram protocol (UDP) port. For example, the method 200 may beimplemented by any of the user devices 104 illustrated in FIG. 1. Assuch, description of the method 200 will make reference to several ofthe system components described above; however, it is to be understoodthat the method 200 is not limited to the specific implementation of thesystem 100.

The method 200 is initialized at step 202 and proceeds to step 204,where a first user device 104 receives a first set of one or morekeywords from a user operating the first user device 104. For instance,the first user may be operating a mobile telephone in a public place,such as a coffee shop. In one embodiment, the first set of keywordscomprises keywords that represent one or more interests of the useroperating the first user device 104. For instance, the first set ofkeywords may include the keywords “rock music” and “concerts.” The firstset of keywords may be provided in a number of ways. For example, thekeywords can be provided interactively, each time the user operating thefirst user device 104 is interested in exploring participation in asocial network. The keywords can also be pre-defined, for example basedon the time of day, the location of the first user device 104 (e.g.,using a GPS), and/or user profile data (which may be dynamically orstatically read by the method 200 from sources including an Internetdatabase, a multimedia service provider such as a television footballpackage subscription, an Internet service provider that maintains ahistory of a user's Internet searches, a program on the first userdevice 104 that harvests data about user interests, or other sources).

In step 206, the first user device 104 broadcasts the first set ofkeywords to one or more other user devices 104 in the network 102. Inone embodiment, the first set of keywords is broadcasted upon thecommand of the user operating the first user device. The user operatingthe first user device 104 may wish, for example, to locate other userson the network 102 who wish to participate in communications related tothe interests indicated by the first set of keywords (e.g., rock musicand concerts, following the example provided above). In one embodiment,the broadcast also includes a proposed server selection algorithm forselecting a server 106 to host communications for a group of respondinguser devices 104. In one embodiment, the proposed server selectionalgorithm is a default algorithm. In a further embodiment, the broadcastalso includes an indication as to whether the first user device 104 canhost the communications as a server 106.

In one embodiment, any one of a number of protocols may be used tobroadcast the first set of keywords. For instance, in one embodiment,the actual LAN IP broadcast IP address of all ones (i.e., the 1111 . . .11 IP address) is used. In another embodiment, other protocol techniquessuch as IP multicast may be used at the network level. An exemplaryimplementation protocol may include the following fields: Sender IPAddress|Recipient IP Address|Sender Port|RecipientPort|Message_Type|Message-Type-Specific_Data. Some of this data appearsin different protocol layers. In addition, various Message_Types can beused, and extensions are possible depending on the choice of detailsused in implementing the protocol. Exemplary Message_Types may include,for example: Locate_Service, I_Can_Serve, I_Am_Leaving_The_Group,Request_To_Join_Group, You_Can_Join, and I_Am_The_Server_For_Group.Other Message_Types are possible depending on the implementation.

In step 208, the first user device 104 receives one or more responsesfrom one or more responding user devices 104. For example a respondinguser device 104 may be a personal digital assistant operated by anotherindividual sitting in the coffee shop. The responses indicate that theusers operating the responding user devices 104 wish to participate incommunications related to the interests indicated by one or more of thekeywords in the first set of keywords. In one embodiment, the responseincludes a second set of one or more keywords that represent one or moreinterests of the user operating the responding user device 104. Forexample, the second set of keywords may be identical to the first set ofkeywords, may be a subset of the first set of keywords (i.e., less thanall of the first set of keywords), or may be a superset of the first setof keywords (i.e., more than all of the first set of keywords). Forinstance, following the above example, the second set of keywords mayinclude the keywords “rock music” and “festivals.” The second sets ofkeywords may be provided to their respective user devices 104 in any ofthe manners described above in connection with the first set ofkeywords. In one embodiment, the response also includes the IP addressand port on the responding user device 104 that are reserved forcommunications related to the interests indicated by the first and/orsecond set of keywords. In a further embodiment, the response alsoincludes an indication as to whether the responding user device 104 isalready hosting communications related to the interests indicated by thefirst and/or second set of keywords, or similar communications.

In step 210, the first user device 104 joins a group (e.g., a socialnetwork) comprising the responding user devices 104. In one embodiment,the first user device 104 joins the group under the explicit directionof the user operating the first user device 104. In another embodiment,the first user device 104 joins the group automatically upon receivingthe responses. In one embodiment, the first user device joins the groupby using the server selection algorithm proposed in step 206 to uniquelyidentify and connect to the server 106 hosting the group. The method 200then terminates in step 212, as the first user device 104 is able tocommunicate with the responding user devices 104 in the hosted group.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a method300 for social networking in a dynamic environment, according to oneembodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the method 300represents a second embodiment of a method for dynamically identifyingnetwork users who share a common interest and creating a hosted group inwhich the users can exchange communications that may be related to thecommon interest. Like the method 200, the method 300 is started on auser's machine or device, and operates on a well-known TCP or UDP port.For example, method 300 may be implemented by any of the user devices104 illustrated in FIG. 1. As such, description of the method 300 willmake reference to several of the system components described above;however, it is to be understood that the method 300 is not limited tothe specific implementation of the system 100.

The method 300 is initialized at step 302 and proceeds to step 304,where a first user device 104 receives a first set of one or morekeywords from a user operating the first user device 104. For instance,the first user may be operating a personal digital assistant in a publicplace, such as a coffee shop. In one embodiment, the first set ofkeywords comprises keywords that represent one or more interests of theuser operating the first user device 104. For example, the first set ofkeywords may include the keywords “rock music,” “festivals,” and “NewYork.” The keywords may be provided in any of the manners describedabove in connection with the method 200.

In step 306, the first user device 104 receives a broadcast from asecond user device 104. The second user device 104 may be, for example,a mobile telephone operated by another individual sitting in the coffeeshop. In one embodiment, the broadcast includes a second set of keywordsthat represent one or more interests of the user operating the seconduser device 104. For instance, the second set of keywords may includethe keywords “rock music” and “concerts.” The second sets of keywordsmay be provided to their respective user devices 104 in any of themanners described above in connection with the method 200. In oneembodiment, the broadcast also includes a proposed server selectionalgorithm for selecting a server 106 to host communications for a groupof user devices 104 interested in communicating with each otherregarding the interests indicated by the second set of keywords. In oneembodiment, the proposed server selection algorithm is a defaultalgorithm. In a further embodiment, the broadcast also includes anindication as to whether the second user device 104 can host thecommunications.

In step 308, the first user device 104 determines whether to respond tothe broadcast. In one embodiment, the first user device makes thisdetermination in accordance with an explicit instruction from a useroperating the first user device (e.g., the user affirmatively indicatesthat he/she wishes to join the group by pushing a button or giving someother indication). In another embodiment, the first user device makesthis determination automatically, for example in accordance with amatching algorithm that compares the first set of keywords to the secondset of keywords. If the first set of keywords and the second set ofkeywords meet some match threshold (e.g., a minimum number of matchedkeywords), then the first user device 104 may wish to respond to thebroadcast. In one embodiment, the keyword matching algorithm may includeapproximations such as determinations of related concepts, synonyms,variations of words, and/or other schemes.

If the first user device concludes in step 308 that it should notrespond to the broadcast (e.g., the first and second sets of keywords donot meet a match threshold), the method 300 simply terminates in step314 without sending a response.

Alternatively, if the first user device concludes in step 308 that itshould respond to the broadcast (e.g., the first and second sets ofkeywords do meet a match threshold), then the method 300 proceeds tostep 310, where the first user device sends a response to the seconduser device. The response indicates that the user operating the firstuser device 104 wishes to participate in communications related to theinterests indicated by the second set of keywords. In one embodiment,the response includes a third set of one or more keywords that representat least one or more interests of the user operating the first userdevice 104. For example, the third set of keywords may be identical tothe second set of keywords, may be a subset of the second set ofkeywords (i.e., less than all of the second set of keywords), or may bea superset of the second set of keywords (i.e., more than all of thesecond set of keywords, possibly including keywords from the first setof keywords). For instance, continuing the above example, the third setof keywords may include the keywords “rock music” and “festivals.” Inone embodiment, the response also includes the IP address and port onthe first user device 104 that are reserved for communications relatedto the interests indicated by the second and/or third set of keywords.In a further embodiment, the response also includes an indication as towhether the first user device 104 is already hosting communicationsrelated to the interests indicated by the second and/or third set ofkeywords, or similar communications.

In step 312, the first user device 104 joins a group (e.g., a socialnetwork) comprising at least the second user device (and possibly otheruser devices 104 responding to the second user device's broadcast). Inone embodiment, the first user device joins the group by using theserver selection algorithm proposed in the second user device'sbroadcast to uniquely identify and connect to the server 106 hosting thegroup. The method 300 then terminates in step 314, as the first userdevice 104 is able to communicate with the user devices 104 in thehosted group.

Thus, the methods 200 and 300 operating together allow users in anetwork such as the network 102 to identify and to communicate withother users who share common interests. In this way, social networkingis enabled in a manner that allows groups of users sharing commoninterests to be dynamically created and hosted at substantially anytime. Users may create, join, and leave social networks dynamically on anetwork with dynamic and/or static IP addresses. Moreover, embodimentsof the present invention allow users to remain substantially anonymous(e.g., by using dynamic IP addresses on open wireless networks).Anonymity can be preserved as long as the network does not requirecredentials from its users (e.g., free wireless network hotspot serversare available in many areas) or as long as the network service providerdoes not use or divulge its users' credentials (e.g., the credentialsare used only for payment for services).

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method 400 forchoosing a server to host a group of network users, according to thepresent invention. The method 400 may be implemented, for example, inaccordance with step 210 of the method 200 or step 312 of the method 300in order to uniquely identify the server hosting the group. That is, anyuser device seeking to join a group may use the method 400 in order todetermine which server is hosting the group. As such, description of themethod 400 will make reference to several of the system componentsdescribed above; however, it is to be understood that the method 400 isnot limited to the specific implementation of the system 100.

The method 400 is initialized at step 402 and proceeds to step 404,where a first user device 104 determines whether any servers 106 in thenetwork 102 are already hosting a relevant group (i.e., a group thatrelates to the interests indicated by the keywords on which the firstuser device 104 is seeking to base a group). This determination may bebased on the responses the first user device 104 has received to akeyword broadcast (e.g., as discussed with respect to step 208 of themethod 200). For instance, another user device 104 may have respondedthat it is interested in a group based on the first user device'skeyword broadcast and that it is already hosting such a group (or asimilar group).

If the first user device 104 concludes in step 404 that at least oneserver 106 in the network 102 is already hosting a relevant group, themethod 400 proceeds to step 406, where the first user device 104 selectsa server 106. In one embodiment, the server 106 with the lowest IPaddress that is hosting a relevant group is selected. In otherembodiments, however, different criteria or methods for selecting aserver 106 are applied.

Alternatively, if the first user device 104 concludes in step 404 thatthere are no servers 106 in the network 102 that are already hosting arelevant group, the method 400 proceeds to step 408, where the firstuser device 104 determines whether any servers 106 in the network 102can host a relevant group. Again, this determination may be based on theresponses the first user device 104 has received to its keywordbroadcast. For instance, another user device 104 may have responded thatit is interested in a group based on the first user device's keywordbroadcast and that it can host such a group. Furthermore, in oneembodiment, the LAN gateway device or some other non-user device(referred to herein as an “SP server”) may respond to such broadcastinquiries such that the SP server can host such social groups. In thisembodiment, the SP server (e.g., a wireless LAN gateway access point)may be provided by the LAN service provider, which offers such socialnetworking service on its network.

If the first user device 104 concludes in step 408 that at least oneserver 106 in the network 102 can host the relevant group, the method400 proceeds to step 406, where the first user device 104 selects theserver 106 with the lowest IP address that can host the relevant group.

Alternatively, if the first user device 104 concludes in step 408 thatthere are no servers 106 in the network 102 that can host the relevantgroup, the method 400 proceeds to step 410, where the first user device104 becomes the default host of the relevant group. In step 412, thefirst user device sends a broadcast to all other user devices 104 thathave expressed interest in joining the group. The broadcast indicatesthat the first user device 104 can and is hosting the group. In oneembodiment, if a broadcast message is sent to a user device 104 that hasnot expressed an interest in joining the group, the receiving userdevice 104 ignores the broadcast. The method 400 then terminates in step414, as all interested user devices 104 will join the relevant groupthrough the first user device 104.

In the event of a service disruption (e.g., the server 106 hosting thegroup leaves the network 102 or crashes), the method 400 may berestarted in order to select a new server 106 to host the group (if oneis available). In one embodiment, participating programs share a hosteddatabase (at various intervals) in order to maintain continuity ofservice data (e.g., up to the last sharing point), in case a server 106hosting a group leaves the network 102. In one embodiment of such adatabase sharing scheme, preference can be given to back-up hostingservers 106 having the most recent back-up data (e.g., a responseindicating that a server 106 can host a group may include a parameterthat indicates the age of the back-up data, such as a timestamp). Inthis embodiment, a method for selecting a server 106 to host a group maybe modified to account for this parameter.

Although the methods 200-400 describe the sending and comparing ofkeywords as being performed locally by user devices, those skilled inthe art will appreciate that at least a portion of this functionalitymay be performed by a remote device such as a remote server. Forinstance, users could store profiles on the remote device, where theprofiles include keywords related to the respective users' interests.Keyword broadcasts may then be directed to the remote device, whichcompares the broadcasts to the stored profiles in order to determinekeyword matches.

FIG. 5 is a high level block diagram of the social networking methodthat is implemented using a general purpose computing device 500. In oneembodiment, a general purpose computing device 500 comprises a processor502, a memory 504, a social networking module 505 and variousinput/output (I/O) devices 506 such as a display, a keyboard, a mouse, amodem, and the like. In one embodiment, at least one I/O device is astorage device (e.g., one or more network interface devices, a diskdrive, an optical disk drive, a floppy disk drive). It should beunderstood that the social networking module 505 can be implemented as aphysical device or subsystem that is coupled to a processor through acommunication channel.

Alternatively, the social networking module 505 can be represented byone or more software applications (or even a combination of software andhardware, e.g., using Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC)),where the software is loaded from a storage medium (e.g., I/O devices506) and operated by the processor 502 in the memory 504 of the generalpurpose computing device 500. Thus, in one embodiment, the socialnetworking module 505 for social networking in a dynamic environmentdescribed herein with reference to the preceding Figures can be storedon a computer readable medium (e.g., RAM, magnetic or optical drive ordiskette, and the like).

It should be noted that although not explicitly specified, one or moresteps of the methods described herein may include a storing, displayingand/or outputting step as required for a particular application. Inother words, any data, records, fields, and/or intermediate resultsdiscussed in the methods can be stored, displayed, and/or outputted toanother device as required for a particular application. Furthermore,steps or blocks in the accompanying Figures that recite a determiningoperation or involve a decision, do not necessarily require that bothbranches of the determining operation be practiced. In other words, oneof the branches of the determining operation can be deemed as anoptional step.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and notlimitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment shouldnot be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, butshould be defined only in accordance with the following claims and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for connecting to a server in a network,the method comprising: broadcasting, by a first device in the networkvia a broadcast internet protocol address of the network, a first setcomprising a keyword representing an interest of a first user;receiving, by the first device, a response to the broadcasting from asecond device in the network operated by a second user, the responseindicating an interest in the interest of the first user; andconnecting, by the first device, to the server in the network to join afirst group associated with the keyword when the response is receivedfrom the second device, where the server hosts the first group forsupporting a communication between the first device and the seconddevice, wherein the server is distinct from the first device and thesecond device.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first setcomprising the keyword is broadcast together with a proposed method forselecting the server.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the responseincludes a second set comprising a second keyword representing aninterest of the second user.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein thesecond set is identical to the first set.
 5. The method of claim 3,wherein the second set is a subset of the first set.
 6. The method ofclaim 3, wherein the second set is a superset of the first set.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the response includes an internet protocoladdress and a port on the second device, the Internet protocol addressand the port being reserved for the communication.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the first user and the second user remain anonymous toeach other.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of aninternet protocol address of the first device and an internet protocoladdress of the second device is assigned dynamically.
 10. A systemcomprising: a first user device in a network for broadcasting, via abroadcast internet protocol address of the network, a first setcomprising a keyword representing an interest of a first user; a seconduser device in the network for sending, to the first user device, aresponse from a second user to a broadcast of the first set by the firstuser device, the response indicating an interest in the interest of thefirst user; and a server for hosting a first group associated with thekeyword for supporting a communication between the first user device andthe second user device, wherein the first user device and the seconduser device connect to the server to join the first group, wherein theserver is distinct from the first user device and the second userdevice.
 11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of: an internetprotocol address of the first user device and an internet protocoladdress of the second user device is assigned dynamically.
 12. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the first user device and the second userdevice remain anonymous to each other.
 13. The system of claim 10,wherein the response includes an Internet protocol address and a port onthe second user device, the Internet protocol address and the port beingreserved for the communication.
 14. A non-transitory computer-readablemedium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of afirst device in a network, cause the processor to perform operations forconnecting to a server in the network, the operations comprising:broadcasting, via a broadcast internet protocol address of the network,a first set comprising a keyword representing an interest of a firstuser; receiving a response to the broadcasting from a second device inthe network operated by a second user, the response indicating aninterest in the interest of the first user; and connecting to the serverin the network to join a first group associated with the keyword whenthe response is received from the second device, where the server hoststhe first group for supporting a communication between the first deviceand the second device, wherein the server is distinct from the firstdevice and the second device.
 15. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 14, wherein the first set comprising the keyword isbroadcast together with a proposed method for selecting the server. 16.The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein theresponse includes a second set comprising a second keyword representingan interest of the second user.
 17. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 16, wherein the second set is identical to the firstset.
 18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14,wherein the response includes an internet protocol address and a port onthe second device, the internet protocol address and the port beingreserved for the communication.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 14, wherein the first user and the second user remainanonymous to each other.
 20. The non-transitory computer-readable mediumof claim 14, wherein at least one of an internet protocol address of thefirst device and an internet protocol address of the second device isassigned dynamically.